State and Federal Lawsuits Filed in LAPD Shooting of Brendon Glenn

Posted By V. James DeSimone || 9-Feb-2016

State and federal lawsuits were filed this morning against the City of
Los Angeles; Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, personally and professionally;
LAPD Officer Clifton Proctor; and LAPD Officer Jonathan Kawahara on behalf
of the three-year-old son and the mother of Brendon Glenn whom officers
shot to death on May 25, 2015 in Venice.

Sheryn Camprone, as guardian ad litemfor Avery Glenn, son of deceased, Brendon Glenn and as Special Administrator
of the Estate of Brendon Glenn vs.City of Los Angeles, Police Officers Clifford Proctor, Jonathan Kawahara,
Police Chief Charlie Beck, in his individual and official capacity, Does
1 to 10, inclusive was filed in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County. The
complaint is for damages for wrongful death, assault and battery, negligence,
and violation of the Bane Civil Rights Act.

Sheryn Camprone vs.City of Los Angeles, Police Officers Clifford Proctor, Jonathan Kawahara,
Police Chief Charlie Beck, in his individual and official capacity; Does
1 – 10, inclusive was filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California.
The complaint is for damages for unreasonable search and seizure; unreasonable
use of deadly force; deprivation of life without due process; interference
with parent-child relationship; and municipal liability for unconstitutional
custom, practice, or policy.

Civil rights attorneys V. James DeSimone of V. James DeSimone Law and John
Raphling of The Law Office of John Raphling submitted a claim for damages
to the City of Los Angeles on behalf of Glenn’s mother and son on
Sept. 23, 2015. The claim asked the City to accept responsibility for
the killing and to compensate the family. The claim was summarily denied
by the City the following week.

“Chief Beck saw the video of Officer Proctor shooting Brendon Glenn
and acknowledged that it showed no ‘extraordinary circumstances’
to explain the shooting,” says DeSimone. “After Chief Beck’s
own investigation, he recommended criminal charges against Officer Proctor,
saying it was an ‘obvious decision’ based on the evidence.”

Brandon Glenn is one of 21 people killed by LAPD officers this year. He
was not armed. According to witness accounts and the clear implication
of Chief Beck’s call for prosecution of the officer, it is evident
that Glenn posed no threat to the officers or to anyone else. Officer
Proctor shot him twice in the back.

“LAPD trained this officer and created a police culture in which
violence is often a first resort,” says Raphling. “LAPD led
Officer Proctor to believe his actions would go unpunished. The LAPD needs
to take responsibility for this killing, to make amends to the family,
and to take steps to ensure it never happens again.”

LAPD continues to hide from public scrutiny by refusing to make the video
of the killing available to the public, despite calls to do so from Glenn’s
family and members of the community.

“This lack of transparency in the police department allows them to
deny blame when they harm people and makes meaningful oversight impossible,”
says Raphling. “We believe this lack of transparency will lead to
further tragedies, like the killing of Brendon Glenn.”

“This officer took a man’s life,” says DeSimone. “A
mother lost her son. A three-year-old boy will grow up with only the haziest
of memories of his father. All that remains for the Glenn family is this
lawsuit, which we hope gives them some measure of justice.”